research-strategy

# Research Strategy Skill ## When to Activate Activate this skill when: - Researching technology options - Evaluating libraries or frameworks - Investigating best practices - Analyzing security concerns - Making architectural decisions - Performing codebase analysis ## Core Principles - **Research and report, don't implement** - **Multiple sources beat single sources** - **Document confidence levels for all findings** - **Acknowledge knowledge gaps openly** - **Present alternatives objectively** ## 7-Step Research Methodology 1. **Define Research Questions** - What exactly needs answering? 2. **Identify Information Sources** - Where to look? 3. **Gather Raw Information** - Collect systematically 4. **Cross-Reference Findings** - Verify across sources 5. **Validate Accuracy** - Check dates, authority, consensus 6. **Identify Gaps** - What's still unknown? 7. **Synthesize Insights** - Connect into actionable knowledge ## Source Prioritization 1. **Primary Sources** (Highest priority) - Official documentation - Technical specifications - API references 2. **Authoritative Sources** - Well-maintained libraries - Industry standards (OWASP, NIST) - Academic papers 3. **Community Sources** - Stack Overflow discussions - GitHub issues/PRs - Technical blogs 4. **Experimental Sources** (Use with caution) - Beta features - Draft proposals ## Confidence Scoring Assign to ALL findings: | Level | Range | Criteria | |-------|-------|----------| | **HIGH** | 90-100% | Multiple authoritative sources agree, widely adopted | | **MEDIUM** | 60-89% | Good documentation, some adoption, minor disagreements | | **LOW** | 30-59% | Limited sources, conflicting information | | **SPECULATIVE** | <30% | Educated guess, no direct sources | ## Research Report Structure ```markdown # Research Report: [Topic] ## Executive Summary [2-3 paragraphs: key findings, recommendation, confidence] ## Research Questions 1. [Question 1] 2. [Question 2] ## Key Findings ### Finding 1: [Title] **Confidence**: HIGH/MEDIUM/LOW **Sources**: [List with links] [Detailed explanation] **Implications**: [How this affects decisions] ## Comparative Analysis | Aspect | Option A | Option B | |--------|----------|----------| | Performance | Details | Details | | Learning Curve | Details | Details | ## Best Practices 1. **[Practice]**: Why, Source, Adoption level ## Risks and Concerns - **Risk**: Severity, Likelihood, Mitigation ## Knowledge Gaps - **Gap**: Impact, How to address ## Recommendations [Clear, actionable recommendations with confidence levels] ``` ## Library/Framework Research Template ```markdown ## Overview - Purpose: [One sentence] - Maturity: Stable/Beta/Experimental - Last commit: [Date] - License: [Type] ## Technical Assessment - Performance: [Benchmarks] - Bundle Size: [KB] - Dependencies: [Count, quality] ## Developer Experience - Documentation: Excellent/Good/Fair/Poor - TypeScript: Built-in/DefinitelyTyped/None - Learning Curve: Steep/Moderate/Gentle ## Verdict **Recommendation**: Use/Don't Use/Conditional **Confidence**: HIGH/MEDIUM/LOW **When to Use**: [Scenarios] **When to Avoid**: [Scenarios] ``` ## Analysis Framework For each topic, answer: **Current State** - What exists today? - What patterns are established? **Best Practices** - What do experts recommend? - What anti-patterns to avoid? **Trade-offs** - What are alternatives? - Pros/cons of each option? **Risks** - What could go wrong? - Common pitfalls? ## Anti-Patterns to Avoid ❌ **Single Source Syndrome** - "According to this one article..." - ✅ "Multiple sources agree (A, B, C)..." ❌ **Premature Implementation** - "Here's the code..." - ✅ "Implementation would follow this approach..." ❌ **Missing Confidence Levels** - "This is the way." - ✅ "HIGH confidence: Recommended by [sources]..." ❌ **Outdated Information** - Using 2020 practices without checking updates - ✅ Verify current practices, note recent changes ## Research Quality Checklist ### Completeness - [ ] All questions answered - [ ] Multiple sources consulted (minimum 2-3) - [ ] Advantages AND disadvantages investigated - [ ] Edge cases considered ### Accuracy - [ ] Sources are authoritative and current - [ ] Publication dates checked - [ ] Conflicting info acknowledged - [ ] Assumptions stated ### Actionability - [ ] Findings translate to next steps - [ ] Risks quantified - [ ] Alternatives provided - [ ] Decision criteria clear ## Related Resources See `AgentUsage/research_workflow.md` for complete documentation including: - Security research template - Detailed report examples - Research mission template - Quality checklists